Refuse container atomizers



Jan. 18, 1966 E. G. sEAvEY REFUSE CONTAINER ATOMIZERS Filed Sept. 30, 1963 E www@ 0'14/0/0/ G. Seal/ey :inventor (Igent United States Patent 3,229,914 REFUSE CONTAINER ATOMIZERS Edward G. Seavey, 1855 Toyon Drive, Concord, Calif. Filed Sept. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 312,652 4 Claims. (Cl. 239-289) This invention relates to atomizers, and more particularly to a device of the kind described having special application to the treatment of garbage or refuse containers with insecticides and the like.

It is well recognized that the common house fly presents a continual hazard to the health and well being of any community in which it may be found. Multiplying rapidly in such places as trash piles and garbage containers, the house liy is a positive menace to public health. This condition is all too prevalent in congested areas such as housing developments and other crowded places where trash collections maybe infrequent, and other sanitary precautions may not be too strictly observed.

It is an object Vof the present invention to provide a device which can be attached to the lid of a trash container and will be ready for use at any time to maintain the container in aysanitary condition.

Al further object of the invention is the provision of a device which can be conveniently reiilled without its removal from the container to which it may be attached.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an atomizer adapted to the application of insecticides, deodorizers, animal repellents, and rust inhibitors and the like.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view of a conventional garbage can having a cover tted with a special atomizer.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical transverse cross section of a preferred embodiment of the atomizer taken on the median line thereof.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary detail depicting an alternate form of valve for the device shown on FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary detail illustrating further structural modifications to the components of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal transverse section taken on line 5 5 of FIGURE 2.

i FIGURE 6 is a horizontal transverse section taken on line 6-'-6 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of the valve shown on FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a garbage or refuse container C, having a lid or closure L, is illustrated showing an atomizer 10 mounted on said lid. It will be noted from FIGURE 1 that the lower portion of the atomizer 10, which projects through the lid or closure C, is terminated at a point somewhat above the plane bounded by the rim of the lid, and therefore, it will not come into contact with any even surface on which the lid may be placed.

The atomizer 10, as illustrated on FIGURE 2, comprises a liquid container 11, which may be of any desired form, adapted for mounting on a conventional garbage can lid by suitable means such as is indicated by the mounting feet 12 and attaching screws 13. A lid or closure 14 is provided to seal the open top of the container 11. Filling of the container is provided for by an inlet 15, having a screen 16 contained in the lower portion thereof. A vented cap 17 seals the inlet 15 when said inlet is not in use. Also forming part of the lid 14 is an axially disposed boss 18 which may extend both 3,229,914 Patented Jan. 18, 1966 ICC above and below the lid 14 as shown, and which is provided with a centrally located bore adapted to form a guide for a plunger 19, as will be further described herein.

Centrally located in the bottom 20 of the liquid container 11, and therefore, concentric with the plunger 19, is a threaded opening adapted to receive a combined atomizer head or nozzle, and valve assembly housing indicated generally at 21. The upper portion of the housing 21 is provided with a parallel bore 22 which, in the completely assembled unit, will be in alignment with the bore of the boss 18, and which will receive the lower end of the plunger 19 as shown. When the plunger 19 is in the retracted position as indicated, the open portion of the bore 22 forms a chamber for the reception of the fluid being used, entry into said chamber being provided for by a plurality of ports or openings 23 connecting the interior of the container 11 with the bore 22 as shown. The stroke of the plunger 19 is limited in its depressed position by its handle or knob 24 contacting the upper face of the boss 18. In the retracted position, the end of the stroke is xed by a snap ring 25 which is mounted on the plunger in the usual manner, and which is adapted to contact the lower face of the boss 18. A compression spring 26, encircling the plunger 19, and being interposed between the lower face of the snap ring 25 and the face of the interior boss 27 of the atomizer head 21, functions to maintain the plunger 19 in a normally retracted position. An O ring 28, contained within a suitable groove at the lower end of the plunger 19 is adapted to provide a seal against the escape of liquid during the pressure stroke in the usual manner.

At a point slightly below the level of the end of the plunger 19, when it is in the advanced position, the bore 22 is reduced to form a vena constricta 29 having an orice 30 of reduced diameter relative to the bore 22.

vThis orifice, which has a relatively short parallel bore as indicated, is then flared as shown at 31, the flared portion communicating with a concentric valve chamber 32 of increased diameter. The edge or corner formed at the junction of the lower end of the flared opening 31,

and the shoulder resulting from the increased diameter of the chamber 32, is adapted to form a valve seat.

A valve 33, comprising an upper conical seating portion 34 and a lower cylindrical guide portion 35, is maintained in a normally closed position by a compression spring 36. The spring 36 is held in place by a threaded plug 37 screwed into the lower end of the housing 21. A plurality of ports or openings 38 is provided for discharge of liquid from the valve chamber.

It should be noted that the ports 38 may be parallel or ared as indicated at 38a on FIGURE 5, also their As indicated on FIGURE 4, a pair of conventional cup4 washers 40, secured back to back on the end of the plunger 19, may be used to replace the O ring 28. The lower cup washer acts to maintain the pressure within the valve chamber 32, while the upper one ensures a suction or partial vacuum within the chamber during the retraction of the plunger 19. This suction operates to facilitate the refilling of the bore or discharge chamber 22 from the supply of liquid within the container 11.

A further modification shown on FIGURE 4 is the replacement of the plug 37 by a hollow cap 41. The interior of the cap is adapted to form the valve chamber ber 32, and as the ports 38 are drilled in the cap, this cap may be interchanged with caps of other port sizes or slopes to suit Vvarious .applications of container sizes or liquids used.

FIGURE 3 illustrates a further modification utilizing a ball type of valve 42. This valve is held in place in its cap 43 by means of a hollow plug 44 as indicated. This design enables` the cap and valve assembly to be dispensed as a self-contained unit which can be installed without any dismantling of its component parts. The slope of the ports 38 will be such as will best suit the location and the inherent contour of the top of the ball valve 42, when said valve is in its discharge position.

In operation, an adequate supply of fluid must be maintained in the liquid container at all times. Depression of the plunger with the garbage container lid in place, forces a charge of fluid through the orifice. The fluid, having attained a high degree of velocity through the vena constricta, impinges upon the conical top of the valve and is atomized, radially dispersed and deflected by the combined action of the valve top, the flared outlet and the valve shoulder respectively. It should be noted that the velocity head attained by the liquid issuing from the vena constricta portion of the nozzle is not dissipated in the flared portion thereof. This is due to the fact that the annular space between the walls of the flared portion and the conical top of the valve is of progressively reduced cross-sectional area in the direction of flow, as a result of the difference in slope of their adjacent surfaces. By this arrangement, the liquid is directed at full velocity in radially diverging directions. It is then deflected at high speed without undue turbulance at the point of impingement. This combination of actions results in the production of a fine spray of sullcient velocity to extend horizontally and radially outward to completely cover the area to be treated. This fine spray, issuing from the ports 38, circulates throughout the entire free space of the garbage container as illustrated in FIGURE 1. Upon emptying the garbage container and replacing the lid, a further application of the insecticide will ensure complete results.

It is desirable that the unit be of sufficiently rugged construction so as to enable the handle of the plunger to also serve as the handle for the garbage can lid.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have provided a device of the kind described that will fill a long needed want, and while I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that modifications may be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A refuse container, a liquid container fiXedly attached thereto, a discharge nozzle communicating with and projecting from said liquid container into said refuse container, said nozzle having a fluid receiving chamber of vena constricta configuration adjacent its discharge end, said vena constricta being terminated by a parallel orifice portion having a flared discharge opening the lower edge thereof being adapted to form a seat for said check valve; and ports connecting said fluid receiving chamber with said liquid container; a plunger mounted within the fluid receiving chamber of said nozzle, a valve chamber at the discharge end of said nozzle and being in communication with said fluid receiving chamber, a check valve within said valve chamber adapted to normally close the opening between said fluid receiving chamber and said valve chamber, said valve chamber being provided with discharge ports communicating with the interior of said ref-y use container.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein said check valve is formed with an upper liquid diffusing portion and a lower fluid dellecting portion, said dellecting portion, when in the discharge position, being in substantial horizontal alignment with the discharge ports of said valve chamber.

3. A device as in claim 1 wherein said check valve is formed with an upper conical fluid diffusing member,the

included angle of said conical member being greater than that of the flared discharge opening of said orifice.

4. A refuse container, a liquid container lixedly attached thereto, a discharge nozzle projecting from the lower portion of said liquid container into said refuse container, a closure for said liquid container, a boss forming part of said closure and being in vertical alignment with said nozzle, said nozzle and said boss being provided `with aligned bores, the bore of said boss being adapted to proi vide a fluid receiving chamber, a plunger mounted within said bores in reciprocally slidable relationship therewith, a handle mounted on the upper end of said plunger adapted to form a stop to limit the downward travel of said plunger, a ring mounted on said plunger intermediate said boss and said nozzle and being adapted to form a stop to limit the upward travel of said plunger; a compression spring encircling said plunger intermediate said ring and said nozzle; said bore in said nozzle being of vena constricta configuration adjacent its lower end, said vena constricta being terminated by an orifice having a flared discharge opening, a check valve adapted to control the flow of liquid through said discharge opening,l said valve being provided with an upper conical fluid diffusing member and a lower fluid dellecting member, the included angle of said conical member being greater than that of the flared discharge opening of said orifice; said discharge nozzle being provided with intake ports adjacent its upper end, communicating with said liquid container, and being provided with discharge ports adjacent its lower end, communicating with said refuse container,

said valve being interposed between said intake ports and` said discharge ports.

References Cited by the Examiner t UNITED STATES PATENTS 548,870 10/1895 Hager 220-87 925,629 6/ 1909 Frank et al. 222-378 X` 1,286,333 12/1918 Johnson 239-333 1,521,822 1/1925 Manzel 222-341 1,565,686 12/1925 Titus 222-341 X` 2,015,824 10/ 1935 Trompeter 220-87 2,028,214 1/1936 Hennessy 239-331 X 2,117,296 5 1938 Cahoon 222-378 FOREIGN PATENTS 28,352 5/ 1914 Great Britain. 465,253 2/ 1914 France.

EVERETT W. KIRBY, Primary Examiner,

J. D. HUSSER, Examiner. 

1. A REFUSE CONTAINER, A LIQUID CONTAINER FIXEDLY ATTACHED THERETO, A DISCHARGE NOZZLE COMMUNICATING WITH AND PROJECTING FROM SAID LIQUID CONTAINER INTO SAID REFUSE CONTAINER, SAID NOZZLE HAVING A FLUID RECEIVING CHAMBER OF VENA CONSTRICTA CONFIGURATION ADJACENT ITS DISCHARGE END, SAID VENA CONSTRICTA BEING TERMINATED BY A PARALLEL ORIFICE PORTION HAVING A FLARED DISCHARGE OPENING THE LOWER EDGE THEREOF BEING ADAPTED TO FORM A SEAT FOR SAID CHECK VALVE; AND PORTS CONNECTING SAID FLUID RECEIVING CHAMBER WITH SAID LIQUID CONTAINER; A PLUNGER MOUNTED WITHIN THE FLUID RECEIVING CHAMBER OF SAID NOZZLE, A VALVE CHAMBER AT THE DISCHARGE END OF SAID NOZZLE AND BEING IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID FLUID RECEIVING CHAMBER, A CHECK VALVE WITHIN SAID VALE CHAMBER ADAPTED TO NORMALLY CLOSE THE OPENING BETWEEN SAID FLUID RECEIVING CHAMBER AND SAID VALVE CHAMBER, SAID VALVE CHAMBER BEING PROVIDED WITH DISCHARGE PORTS COMMUNICATING WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID REFUSE CONTAINER. 